What is happiness? Is it the same for everyone? Once again according Wikipedia, Happiness is a mental state of well being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. I have found over the last year that happiness can sometimes be forgotten. There are times where things in your life just aren't going as planned, and it seems like there is no changing them.
Many people are on a search to find something that will make them happy, however, over this summer, I learned a very important thing. My happiness is completely up to me. There is not a single "THING" that will make us happy. It is all a matter of choice. I have to choose to be happy no matter what. If things are going wrong, then I have to find the positive, and allow myself to be happy.
Some people have a "Happy Place." This may be a place where you go and just have time to yourself. Some people find that doing something every day allows them to remain happy. For me, I have learned to be happy no matter what the situation. I have learned to laugh at the bad, and learn whatever it is I need to, but at the end of the day remember the good because that is what truly keeps me going.
There are a lot of good things that happen to us every day that go unnoticed. Were you able to make it everywhere safely? Did someone smile and say hi to you today? Was your body in good health? Is everyone you care about safe? Did you accomplish most, if not all, of what you needed to? Did you have food? Water? Were you able to bathe? Did you have power, so you could watch your favorite TV show? Power to keep your phone charged?
Each and every day, we take things in our life for granted. We don't think about the good that has occurred. We manage to only focus on the bad. We compare ourselves with those around us. We focus on our weaknesses. We become content with negativity, and stop trying to make it positive. In all reality though, if we made a simple choice to be positive, our happiness level would sky rocket.
In the middle of July, I was challenged by a friend to attempt to see double the positive than the negative in my life each day. At the end of every night, I would write down all the things that I was unhappy with from the day. I would then try to double that list with positive things that happened that day. At first this was very difficult. I had a hard time seeing the positive. I accepted that I was having a bad summer, and that things were bad. However, after about a week, I noticed that my entire attitude had changed. Instead of being able to have a list of 20 things wrong, I could only start to see 5 to 10 things each day, and my lists of good were in the near 50's. I was shocked at the difference this experiment had made. I only did this experiment for a month, but I found my happiness levels to be much higher than before. At the end of every day, I still try to name positive things, and I have found it's easier to name negative now, but I still know that there is positive.
I have also found that it is easier to be happy when you focus on others. Stop worrying about yourself, and everything that is going on in your life. Walk around with the goal of making some one else's day better. Smiling and saying Hi to people around you, could make a difference in their lives. It is easier to be happy, when you are doing everything you can to make other people happy. However, when people have issues, don't take them upon yourself. Lend an ear, and a helping hand, and try to make their day better, but don't let them effect your day.
Happiness is a choice. When you wake up in the morning, say to yourself, "I will be happy today!" It really does make a difference. According to Abraham Lincoln, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
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